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Better: Day 4

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Better: Day 4

{Today you can read or listen to the post!}

Day 4
Melissa

Each of us is as unique a the artistic mess we create

Keeping that truth at the forefront of our tidy it up movement will keep all that I share in days ahead in the proper perspective. Are most things in your area organized and clutter free? If so there will be days you can skip and just add to your inspirational Pinterest board. Has your dreamy refuge become a place of angst over the clutter and you can't imagine it getting better? For you: deep breaths and keep your chin up. It may not be perfect by the end of April, but it will be better! 


We aren't competing, we are improving.

We aren't judging, we are improving.

We aren't perfect, we are improving.


 

Today we give ourselves some breathing room to make all that magical improvement happen. Here's how:

Set aside 25 minutes

Gather:

  • some medium or larger boxes or containers, perhaps laundry baskets
  • a timer
  • upbeat music (I can share my playlist ;)
  • dust rag & cleaning agent of choice

Plan:

Remember this is my plan, for my space that needs Spring cleaning and you should modify it

  1. Press play for your music and set the timer to 8 minutes and begin
  2. Look around to see what is not in the right place
    • yarn and fiber you pulled out of stash to consider for a project & forgot to put back
    • books & magazines
    • needles, needles, needles
    • laundry you were folding in this room and for some reason set it down & never picked it up
  3. Items out of place get put into the box or laundry basket 
  4. **With the exception of your wallet or keys** Simply pluck whatever you see in the wrong spot and stick it in the box. DO NOT HESITATE, DO NOT PUT IT AWAY  Just grab and box- grab and box!
  5. Work until timer sounds

With your back to the boxes, look over your space. 

I sighed. 

I had several things on my desk, which is a huge 6 foot desk, and my bookshelf right beside it. Having most of the out of place items off the desk and shelves made me feel good!

Today isn't over though.

Grab some water real quick and repeat the exercise once more, perhaps focusing on a different corner of your studio or nook. Set the timer for 5 minutes this time and move fast!

When you are done:

  1. Smile
  2. For the bold participant, dance around the room a bit. Dancing makes your body happy
  3. Set timer 3 minutes and prepare to hustle
  4. Grab the dust rag and wipe down any flat surface until the timer dings but don't turn off the annoying buzz of the timer..not until you finish the next step
  5. Slide the baskets & boxes if possible* to the most obnoxiously inconvenient spot in the room without blocking the entrance or exit of the room (for me it was the dead center of the room) 
  6. Leave them there 

Final Activity

  1. Set timer for 4 minutes & make yourself the promise to end on time!
  2. Pull up your Pinterest page (if you are Pinterest free use my board HERE to look over & be encouraged)
  3. Make a Creative Spaces board and being very selective add 3 or 4 spaces you love 
    • DON'T WORRY! we will be adding a bit more every so often to this board, so be picky about adding to it! Pick only ones that really make you get lost in them--- and FYI I started with looking at Villas as inspiration so BE CREATIVE! BE YOU! BE FAST! You only have 4 minutes!

All done? Snap a picture of a neat and tidy spot! Even if it is a 2 inch by 2 inch dusted corner of a shelf THAT IS RECLAIMED SPACE! Keep it on your phone to look back on to remind yourself that small starts are worth acknowledging. BRAVER? then post your pic on IG, twitter, FB---wherever! and tag me in it so I can see. Use our hashtag #MakingSpaceForCreativity.

That is it for today! 

See you tomorrow for a bit of fun and continued improvement!

Do Let Me Know YOU Are Here! I would love to encourage you! So, catch me up below! Also, check in and encourage one another below!

 

 

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Making Space for Creativity: Days 1, 2, 3

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Making Space for Creativity: Days 1, 2, 3

The part that excited some people about cleaning can often be the part that scares others: 

THE START

Let's see if we all can't ease in to this in a way that is enjoyable for all!

Day 1 was yesterday... simply deciding you wanted to do be a part of this (not sure what we are doing? read this post). It may have been an instant decision, or it may have been mulled over for the day, or you may be joining in on April 20th---a future time as I write, but the perfect moment for you! When isn't important- the decision is! 

Day 2 is today... This isn't super complicated but definitely needs a bit of thought from us.

Grab a notebook, pencil/pen, and a timer.  Find a place where you can sit and not see your craft room, desk, creative corner---whatever you call the space where you keep your knitting related things. Do this bit somewhere else you can be comfy! (Yes! treating yourself to a moment on the front porch works! Absolutely you can stay in bed for this! In your home or at the local café makes no difference, just don't be anywhere near the area we are going to revamp!

  1. Set your timer for 4 minutes
  2. At the top a page write "GOOD STUFF" and list everything you enjoy about the area you consider your knitting nook or crafty corner or studio. Nothing on this page is a negative! Have your stash super organized: write it down! Did you make a mood board last year that was so lovely but now you feel it is outdated? Write down how much you loved making a mood board and all the fun it was to see when you first put it up---don't critique it now. Is your place cluttered and messy to the point you can't think of one positive? Then don't dig so deep. Share the good about what you first loved about the spot: natural light, quiet corner, near the fireplace, a gentle breeze sometimes comes through the window. Start there and write until the timer trills.
  3. Set timer for 5 minutes
  4. Flip the page and write "BETTER STUFF" and list all the things you think would make your spot better---and by "better" I mean STELLAR--- But only use 2 word blurbs that are super specific! 

    • For instance you may think "I want it clean with everything organized so I know exactly where things are when I wan them!" but you can't write that!

      •  Instead try "organize stash"

      • "easy access"

      • "trackable inventory"

      • Just get writing because the 5 minutes goes by fast   

  5. Close your notebook and be done for the day!

Day 3: Tomorrow & each Sunday this month we don't "do" anything. It is a day to catch up. Right now it may not seem like much, but we are easing in to things and will be adding more and more as we go. Enjoy the simplicity of starting something new!

I will see you here Monday when we will roll up our sleeves to dive in a bit more!

 

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